Bail For T Raja Singh, Overnight Protests: What's Happening In Hyderabad?

While suspended BJP Telangana MLA T Raja Singh got bail on Tuesday after being arrested for his remarks on Prophet Mohammad and comedian Munawar Faruqui, protests continued in the old city of Hyderabad overnight, into the early hours of Wednesday.

Singh was arrested from his home on Tuesday after protests over his hateful remarks but got bail by evening. This came hours after the Telangana BJP suspended Singh. The Hindu reported that the letter of suspension said Singh's remarks on various issues were not in line with the party's position. Om Pathak, member secretary of the Central Disciplinary Committee had signed the letter.

Also Read: Who Is Arrested MLA Raja Singh? A Politician With A History Of Communal Speeches

What happened during the protests?

While heavy security was deployed in Hyderabad, even as Singh was released, protests over his remarks continued. Photos tweeted by ANI showed crowds gathered near the Charminar.

The Indian Express reported that protesters tried to march toward the neighbourhood of the Goshamahal MLA, but the police stopped them. P Sai Chaithanya, DCP (South Zone) of Hyderabad, told the newspaper, "We have police pickets at all locations apart from deployment of men. We are available to the public. The protests went on till around 5.30 Wednesday morning. The situation is fully under control."

The protesters chanted slogans against Singh and were also wearing black flags.

The Indian Express report said that protests were seen in other areas of the city such as Shalibanda, Moghalpura and Khilwat.

Why was T Raja Singh granted bail?

A local court granted Singh bail hours after he was arrested. Singh's lawyer argued that the police failed to provide a notice to Singh as stipulated by the Supreme Court. PTI reported Singh's lawyer as saying that for cases that have below seven years of imprisonment, a notice must be served to the accused before arrest. It has to be issued under CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) 41(A).

A criminal case was registered against Singh after continuous protests at the Dabeerpur police station and also at the Hyderabad CP office. The police had filed a remand application, which was turned down by the court.

Also Read:'Ultimatum To Govt': Farmers At Jantar Mantar On Why They're Protesting

Two groups of people, those against him and those supporting him, almost came close on Tuesday outside of court, but the police were able to disperse the crowd. NDTV reported that despite the MLA being suspended by the BJP, he received a "hero's welcome" from his supporters at his office in Goshamahal.